PERSIS Strongly Opposes the provision of contraception for Minors
Bandung, Indonesia, persis.or.id – Persatuan Islam (PERSIS), a prominent Islamic organisation in Indonesia, has vehemently opposed the government's recent policy of the provision of contraception for teenagers and students.
This controversial regulation is stated in the government regulation No. 28 of 2024 on Health. Specifically, Article 103, paragraph 4, mandates the provision of contraception, along with early disease detection, treatment, rehabilitation, counselling, and screening, for students
This new law has sparked widespread controversy with educators, religious scholars, and Islamic organisations like PERSIS expressing deep concern.
Ginanjar Nugraha, a member of Dewan Hisbah PERSIS (Fatwa Council of PERSIS), stated that the organisation strongly rejects the distribution of contraception to minors. He argued that such a policy could facilitate premarital sex and further erode moral values.
"We oppose this policy for several reasons," Nugraha told persis.or.id. "Firstly, it goes against moral principles, as it indirectly encourages premarital sex, which is considered a grave sin in all religions."
Secondly, he contended that providing contraception to minors amounts to aiding and abetting immoral behaviour, particularly premarital sex among school-aged children. "Regardless of the stated reasons, such as education, the negative consequences outweigh the benefits. It's as if the government is excusing premarital sex."
Finally, Nugraha expressed concerns about hidden agendas, suggesting that certain ideologies may be seeking to undermine the younger generation.
To address the issue, PERSIS has called on the government to take more proactive measures to prevent promiscuity among youths. These measures could include banning pornographic websites, providing religious education for teenagers, and restricting the sale of contraception to minors.
"The government should focus on preventive measures to curb promiscuity among students," Nugraha emphasized.
